Angela's Daughter
by Dr. Michaela Quinn
Summary: Season 4... Take your child to work day brings Angela and Samantha closer
1. Chapter 1

Angela walked down the stairs one morning. It was bring your child to work week at Sam's high school, so Angela took her into the agency. Samantha had been in the Bower Agency before, but this was supposed to be different. Samantha was supposed to observe her parent and write a paper.

"Sam! You need to hurry if we are going to make the train!" Angela exclaimed up the stairs. Tony walked into the living room.

"The train? Wait, where are you going? Sam, I thought you were staying here to help me during the "bring your child to work week."" Tony whined. Angela laughed as she walked up the stairs. Samantha passed her on the staircase.

"Dad, you work at home. I want to go with Angela to the agency." Sam replied. Tony still looked disappointed.

"Are you ready yet?" Tony asked.

"No, I still have a few more things to do."

"Well, come on Samantha," Tony said to his daughter. "Angela doesn't have all morning; she takes the train the same time every morning." Tony leaned against the railing, but when Angela bounded down the stairs, Tony stepped back from the stairs. Angela looked at him.

"She has a few minutes because I can't find my briefcase." Angela replied. Sam rushed up the stairs. Tony walked over to the door by Angela's office and picked up her briefcase. "She's learning advertising. She'll be alright. I'll take care of her. She's going to be with me and mother." Just then, coughing and blowing her nose, Mona walked through the back door. Her nose was the color of her hair. She was wearing a robe and her hair was a mess.

"Mother! You look horrible!" Mona glanced at Angela.

"You're not exactly a peach yourself Angela." Angela sighed.

"You cannot go to the office looking like that." Mona blew her nose again.

"I'm not going in today."

"Mother! We need you today. I'm meeting with a client today and need your help." Samantha walked down the stairs and stood on the last step.

"I'm ready dad." She replied.

"I'm sick Angela. I can't go."

"I'll go into the meeting with you Angela." Samantha said.

"I don't know." Angela wavered. "You're sixteen Sam."

"I know plenty about advertising!"

"Sam, I have a Master's Degree and I don't know everything about it." Tony put Angela's briefcase down by the stairs.

"Can I see you for a minute Angela?"

"What?" Tony practically grabbed her arm and dragged her into the kitchen. "What is the matter with you?" Tony sighed.

"Let Sam go into the meeting."

"Tony of all people; you are the last one I would expect to ask for special favors." Angela said irritated with him.

"Can't you see how excited she is?" Tony asked. "She's not asking this because she loves the world of advertising. Can't you see? She's doing it to be with you!" Angela stood there for a minute.

"Wow." She replied. Tony nodded and then looked at his watch.

"You better hurry. You're going to miss your train." Tony replied. Angela rushed out of the kitchen.

"Mother, get back into bed. Come on Sam. You're now an executive."

"Really?" Sam hugged Angela tightly and made her laugh.

"Come on Sam." They walked towards the door.

"Here you go Angela." Tony responded. She smoothed her suit with her hand and took a breath in as she took a breath in as she took her briefcase from Tony.

"Thank you." She smiled at Samantha. "Are you ready to go?" Samantha nodded.

"Let's go." Sam said. "Can I drive?" Angela and Tony stared at her. "I was kidding."

"Sam." Tony warned. Angela and Sam walked out the door.

"That's very nice what you did for Sam." Mona said.

"She's my daughter. Angela needed help and I tried to teach her that Sam was the best replacement." Mona nodded.

"Angela needs a girl like Sam in the office. But if she outworks me, I won't be afraid to kill her."

"Mona!" Tony hollered and Mona shrugged.

* * *

When Angela and Samantha got to the office, it was quiet.

"Is it always this quiet?" Sam asked. Angela turned on the lights in the office.

"Mother and I are always here before everybody else. But I'm the president. I need to be here early." Sam sighed.

"Angela, you own this place, you don't have to show up early." Sam replied. "You never have to show up. You have plenty of people who work under you." Angela laughed.

"Sam, I have to be here. I have plenty of work to do in this office. Angela stated. "Well, our meeting is at 8:30. Be prepared for your first creative meeting Sam." Angela walked into her office and showed Samantha her working station in the spacious office. A little while later, people started arriving and began milling around. Angela had a few people under her in the Bower Agency now. She wasn't working alone anymore. Angela made up an area in her office when they realized Sam's school was doing the career days. Unlike elementary school though, Sam had to write an extensive paper on Angela about her job, what Sam learned and what she thought about advertising for her future career.

"Who's this?" A guy asked as he walked into the office. Angela stood by the side of the desk.

"Hi," Samantha waved. "I'm Samantha Micelli," Angela walked over and put her arm around Sam's shoulders.

"Jack, this is my daughter, Samantha." Angela smiled. He looked at her and then back at Angela.

"You must take after your father." Sam crossed her arms and choked back a laugh.

"I do."

"Well, it's great to meet you Samantha. Angela talked about her son, but I never realized she had a daughter." She smiled and nodded awkwardly. Angela looked at Samantha.

"I'm sorry to leave you here sweetheart, but I have a meeting to go to." Samantha shook her head.

"I'll be here." Angela and her colleagues walked out of the office and Angela closed the door behind her.

* * *

After the meeting, Angela walked back towards her office. She was stopped by a young woman probably a few years younger than her. Her hand was on the door to her office when the woman touched her arm.

"Mrs. Bower?" Angela turned around.

"Yes?"

"Who is the girl in your office and why's she here?" Angela looked at her.

"It's my daughter; she has to write a paper for school about a career of one of her parents." A man walked over to them.

"Isn't that Tony's daughter?"

"Who's he?"

"That's my housekeeper." Angela replied clearing her through.

"You and Tony got married? I'm glad." Angela shook her head.

"No, we didn't get married. I've raised Sam with Tony since she was 11 years old. She's not my housekeeper's daughter anymore, she's my daughter and I do love her very much." Samantha smiled as she heard Angela talk about her on the other side of the door. Angela was right. Samantha had been many years without her mother and Angela had come into her life at crucial time in her life and they would be close because of that. Angela was a mother to Samantha and she was so happy to have her in her life. Samantha really felt like she was Angela's daughter.


	2. Chapter 2

"Did you really mean what you said?" Samantha asked Angela at the house that night. They were sitting together in the living room. Samantha was sitting in the chair closest to the door watching TV with her feet propped up on the arm and Angela sat on the couch working on a campaign for the next day. When Sam spoke, Angela looked up at her over her glasses.

"Of course I did."

"Really?" Samantha asked. Angela took off her glasses and sat them on the table.

"Sam, come here." Angela patted the couch next to her. Samantha walked over and sat next to her. Angela wrapped her arm around her. "When you first came to live with us, you were a little girl, and now that I've seen you grow up, I've been so grateful to have you in my life. I will always consider you my daughter. We've been through so much together as a family in the last four years. I do not have to be married to your father to consider you my daughter. I love you Sam, and I always will." Samantha smiled.

"Thank you Angela. I do look at you as a mother. You know I lost mine at a young age and I've been glad to have you and Mona here around me for female guidance. You have answered a lot of questions about my upbringing that I could never ask dad." Angela nodded and laughed.

"That's the thing with dads sometimes; they are good for a lot, but there are questions they can't answer. I lost my father when I wasn't much younger than you are now and I miss him every day; but I am grateful I still have mother." Angela laughed. "Sometimes."

"You've done so much for me. I appreciate it. All the tough times in my life you've been here." Angela hugged her.

"I'll always be here if you need me." Samantha shook her head.

"Thank you." Tony walked out of the kitchen.

"Hey, dinner's ready if you want to eat." Angela nodded.

"We're coming."

"Where's Jonathan?" Tony questioned. Angela looked at him and then over at the staircase.

"I don't know. He isn't with you?" Angela asked. "Jonathan?" She called towards the stairs. When he didn't come down, she looked over at Tony. "He might be in the bathroom or something."

"We'll go into the kitchen and maybe he'll join us." Samantha, Tony and Angela walked into the kitchen. As the girls sat at the table, Tony walked over to the stove. Then Mona walked in the front door.

"What smells so good?!" Mona exclaimed.

"Lasagna!" Tony replied with a smile. Mona sat down at the table.

"I'll eat. It looks really good."

"You weren't planning on eating with us Mother?" Angela asked looking at Mona. She was surprised seeing as how Mona usually eats every meal with the family since she lives in the garage apartment. Mona shook her head.

"No, I have a date tonight; but I'm not going on the date to eat." Mona smirked.

"MONA!" Tony exclaimed.

"Dad, I'm not a kid anymore." Sam smiled. Just then, Jonathan walked into the kitchen. Angela touched his arm.

"Sweetheart, are you okay? You didn't come when we called you."

"I was doing something; but I'm here now. What are we having?"

"Tony's made lasagna."

"Okay." He sat down at the table with the rest of them. Tony brought the dish over to the table and everybody was serving up their own food.

"Samantha and I were talking earlier about how we're all a family here." Angela started.

"That's right." Tony responded. "We're family. We live together, we've grown together, and Angela even goes when we force her to take a vacation." Mona, Jonathan and Samantha laughed.

"It's not that bad. I take vacations when I need them." Angela took a bite of her lasagna. "Oh this is delicious."

"Of course it is, but thank you." Tony responded. Samantha ate a chunk of hers.

"You really outdid yourself this time dad." He nodded.

"Thank you Sam." Angela looked over at Samantha.

"Hey Sam, do you want to go back to the office with me again tomorrow? I don't have a bunch of meetings, so it might be more fun for you. We can go to lunch, maybe do some shopping at Bloomingdale's before we come home."

"Really?" Samantha asked all excited.

"Now Angela, don't be going and buying a bunch of things." Tony said. Angela looked at him.

"Of course not." She looked back at Sam. "We'll get you a few new items."

"Sounds like fun." Samantha smiled.

"Alright, we'll do it tomorrow." Angela stood up and walked out of the room. Tony grabbed Samantha's arm.

"You do not take advantage of her you hear me?" Tony questioned. Samantha looked at him.

"I'm sorry dad. Angela looks at me as family. I can't help it if she wants to do things for me."

"Angela has always considered you her daughter, just like I consider Jonathan a son, but you are not going to take advantage of her high emotional level right now. I won't let you."

"I won't dad, I won't."


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: Well I haven't written on this story in two months, but I thought it had been a lot longer ago than that… Anyway, enjoy chapter three =)**

When Tony walked down the stairs the next morning he found Angela on the phone. She was standing behind the couch with one hand holding the receiver and her credit card was in the other. He looked at the clock.

"Angela, it's 6:45 in the morning. Who could you be talking to this early?" She tilted the phone so she could talk to him instead of into the receiver.

"I'm checking the balance on my credit card." She replied and then took her glasses off. "I swear, I don't think they could go any slower." She sighed. Tony walked over to her.

"Why do you need to check your balance?" Tony asked. He thought he knew why, but he wanted to make sure before he said anything to her.

"Samantha, Mother and I are going shopping after work. I need to make sure I have the money."

"Use cash." Tony stated grabbing for her card and Angela gasped.

"Tony! You can't go into a store like Bloomingdale's and use cash. No, I'll use my credit card." She grabbed it back from him and smiled. Somebody had answered her on the other line. "Bower," Angela said, "B-O-W-E-R." She looked at Tony and rolled her eyes. "Thank you." She replied, hung up and put her glasses back on the edge of her nose.

"What?"

"I've got plenty, I just wanted to make sure." Angela walked around the couch and sat down.

"Angela, I don't want you buying a lot of things for Sam." Angela looked at him.

"What?" Tony sat next to her and shook his head.

"She has plenty already Angela. You have done so much for her; you don't have to do any more." Angela laughed.

"But Tony, I like doing things for her. She's done a wonderful job in the office and she won't be alone. I will be with her." Angela stood up and walked over to the stairs picking up her briefcase.

"That's what I'm afraid of." Tony muttered. Angela turned around to face him.

"What's that supposed to mean?" She questioned glaring at him.

"Sam!" Tony hollered up the stairs. He didn't want to have to answer Angela's question. Samantha bounded down the stairs.

"I'm coming, I'm coming!" She exclaimed and then smiled. "Oh hi Angela."

"Are you ready? I have to make the train into the city."

"I'm ready. Bye dad." Sam kissed her dad on the cheek.

"Bye Tony." The girls walked out the door together. Mona walked through the back door and Tony turned to her. She was wearing a red silk dress that came halfway below her knees and came to a "V" showing off her neck and pearl necklace. A pair of diamond earrings sparkled from her earlobes.

"Are you still feeling sick Mona?" Mona shook her head.

"No, I'm fine." She coughed and sneezed.

"Are you sure?" He smiled. "I can make you some chicken vegetable soup." Mona shook her head.

"It sounds good, but I'm going out."

"You can't go out feeling that way." Tony stated. Mona looked at him.

"I've had this date planned for months; I'm not missing it."

"What about work?"

"Angela can handle the office without me for a few days. Bye." She walked through the kitchen and Tony laughed.

* * *

"Mrs. Bower, I love your agency and you worked so well on our last campaign, but I'm not sure if I can use this idea for our deodorant." Angela nodded. She placed her glasses on her desk. This was her last meeting of the morning and it was not going well. Samantha was sitting in the corner taking it all in.

"We may need to take a little more time to come up with a campaign strategy."

"Angela?" Sam spoke up. She looked to Samantha lacing her fingers together on the desk.

"Yeah Sam?" Angela questioned. Sam stood up and walked over to her desk.

"I think I have an idea." She said and Angela looked to the client before she turned back to Sam.

"Go ahead."

"You are trying to get kids excited about using this stuff right?" Sam turned to the client. The man nodded.

"That's the idea."

"Well, why don't you show some popular teen star or maybe use a hip group?" Sam asked.

"Who would you suggest?" He asked starting to get excited. He leaned up in his chair to look at Sam, resting his hands on his stomach.

"I think you'd have every girl in the world using your product if you had U2 promote it." His eyes widened.

"Do you think they'd do that?" He looked from Samantha to Angela.

"I can talk to anybody and see."

"I love it!" He shook Samantha's hand. "You young lady are a genius. I think you could really make it in advertising." Sam smiled.

"Thanks. But it wasn't that big of a deal."

"But it is. We can use Angela's campaign, but we can add this U2 group, did you say?" Sam nodded. "It'll be great!"

"I'm glad you think that sir." Angela said and stood up. "I'm going to call and see what it would take for them to join our campaign and we'll get back to you." He stood up and walked towards the door. Angela walked him out of the office and came back to find Samantha. "That was a great idea Sam. I'm glad you thought of that, otherwise it would have taken us that much longer to finish the campaign."

"Do you really think they will go for it though?" Sam asked wringing her hands. Angela nodded and put her hand on Samantha's back.

"I'll call their agent and see. I'm sure it won't be hard to talk to them. I have worked with celebrities of all kinds Sam," Angela smiled, "are you ready to go for lunch?" Samantha's smile widened.

"Yeah. I never realized how much advertising could make you hungry." Angela laughed and they walked out of the office together.

** A/N: I want to thank my supporters- Dimples73, Sand N' Sable, Imaginer.012, Stayathomemum,Tangela13, GoldenGirlSherry, kirsty2765 and No-Rhyme-Just-Reason for their constant support. Without them, I probably would have quit writing a long time ago. Thank you all! Love ya guys! :) **


	4. Chapter 4

Sitting at lunch, Angela used her car phone to call the manager of U2.

"Yes, this is Angela Bower," she smiled at Samantha, "I'm still in advertising. That's why I was calling. We're doing a campaign for the Beautiful Smell deodorant company and I wanted to see if the group would be interested in promoting it." She squeezed Sam's hand. "Money isn't a problem." Angela paused. "Thank you so much. I'll be waiting." She hung up and smiled brightly at Samantha. "He's going to talk to the band, but he thinks it's a great idea."

"I'm excited."

"Thank you for that great idea Sam."

"I never realized advertising could be so exciting." Angela laughed.

"My job is far from boring Samantha."

"I know, but-" she started to say and Angela nodded.

"It's a lot of work. Ask Mother, she tells me that all the time."

"I think I might like to go into advertising when I get older."

"Really?" Angela asked excitedly and Sam nodded. "You can always come and intern in my office."

"I haven't even started college yet Angela."

"You can never think too far ahead Sam. We'll need to get things set up now."

"Have you thought about what my dad will say about it? Me going into your field, I mean?"

"Anything that makes you happy. He'll be there for you. Your father will always support you." Samantha nodded.

"I know." The phone rang and the women looked at each other before Angela answered it.

"Hello?"

"Mrs. Bower?"

"Yes."

"We would love to be part of your campaign. Would you be willing to fly out to California to talk to us?"

"Of course," her eyes glistened as she looked at Samantha, "but I'll need my assistant to come with me. Is that okay?" Samantha's eyes and smile got really big.

"Yes, that will be fine."

"We'll fly out in a few days. Can we get a meeting set for Monday morning?"

"Is 9:30 alright?"

"We'll be there." She hung up.

"No way!" Sam yelled. "I'm going with you to California?"

"If you want to."

"I get to meet U2?"

"Yes."

"Oh Angela, I love you!" Sam hugged her tightly.

"I'm glad." She said running a hand over Sam's head. "Let's hope your dad feels the same way." Samantha got a panicked look on her face.

"My dad!"

"It'll be okay Sam. I'll talk to him."

* * *

"No."

"Tony! She's growing up. She'll be with me the entire time. We'll fly in Sunday night and be back Tuesday."

"I don't know Angela."

"Please, she really wants to go. I'd love for her to go with me."

"Why didn't you talk to me before you asked her Angela?"

"She was there when I took the call."

"Okay, she can go. But I don't have to like it."

"Thank you," Angela hugged him and then walked over to the stairs, "pack your bags Sam! We're going to L.A!"


	5. Chapter 5

Tony stopped and looked at his watch. After realizing the time, he sighed loudly without realizing Mona was coming in the back door.

"What's the matter Tony?"

"I don't know what to do about Samantha."

"What's wrong with Sam?" Mona asked. "I thought she was in Los Angeles with Angela." Tony nodded as he walked over to the couch and sat down.

"She is Mona, but that's the problem." Mona walked over and sat on the chair closest to the door.

"I don't think I understand."

"She used to come to me for everything, but now she won't even talk to me. Sam goes to Angela when she has a problem. She helped Angela land her new account, she wanted to work in Angela's office, and I'm just invisible in Samantha's world. My own daughter doesn't even see me anymore." Mona shook her head.

"Oh, I see now." She paused. "Tony, you don't have any reason to be jealous of Angela."

"Ay oh, who said anything about being jealous?" He asked staring at her. Mona tilted her head as she smiled.

"Didn't you? Samantha is taking her problems to Angela rather than talking to you?" Tony sighed.

"Maybe it did cross my mind." He stood up. "I just don't know what to do. I don't know why she won't talk to me." Mona followed him across the room.

"Tony, there are just some things you have to have a woman for. She's talked to me about a lot too. Although I don't know what she could possibly have to talk to Angela about." Tony sighed as Mona shrugged. "Look, Sam needs a mother figure in her life; and as much as Angela loves Jonathan, she's never had a little girl. Let them have this Tony."

"Alright." He nodded.

"What else is Angela going to have? She doesn't have much of a life otherwise." Just then, the door opened and they both turned to see Angela walk in.

"Angela? Where's Sam?" Tony asked making Angela smile.

"She's outside. Sam asked me to send you out there. She wanted to talk to you, and she had a basketball with her." Tony nodded and walked through the kitchen.

"What's going on?" Mona asked Angela, who was still smiling.

"Ever since Sam came to work in my office, I could see that Tony was feeling neglected. Sam not being here so much; so we had a talk on the flight home."

"Angela…." Mona started surprised.

"What is it Mother?"

"Nothing." She waved it off and walked out the back door. Angela shook her head and walked up the stairs.

* * *

When Tony walked outside, he saw Sam tossing the ball towards the basket, but she couldn't make a shot.

"You used to be good at this game." He said with a smile. She turned to him.

"Oh hi dad."

"Angela said you wanted to talk to me?" Samantha nodded and held the basketball close to her chest.

"Yeah, I do." She took a breath in. "I'm sorry dad."

"For what?" He asked.

"I'm growing up dad, and that's why I've been talking to Angela more. But I want you to know that you are still important to me. You're my dad and I love you."

"I know that Sam, and I love you more than anything." She nodded.

"Yeah, I know." He walked over to hug her. Before Tony wrapped his arms around her, she put down the ball and she hugged him back. When Tony turned, he saw two heads looking through the back door.

"Come on out! I can see you." The door opened and Mona walked outside with Angela behind her.

"How was your talk?" Angela asked. Tony nodded.

"I think we got some things out of the way. I feel better."

"Me too." Samantha replied looking up at him. He squeezed her shoulder and pulled her into his chest.

"Sam, I just wanted to say that I loved having you as my daughter this week and if you need me, my door is always open." Angela stated and Samantha nodded.

"Thank you Angela." She paused. "And thank you for taking me to L.A. with you. It was amazing to get to meet the band. I really felt like an adult on this trip."

"You're sixteen years old; it's about time you felt like an adult." Mona said with a smile.

"Not yet! She has two years left before she's technically an adult." Tony complained. Angela rubbed her shoulders.

"I just know it is cold out here. Can we finish this inside please?" She asked and they all walked towards the door. Tony held the door for everybody, but stopped Angela as she walked in the door.

"How'd you know?" She smiled.

"I just do." She paused. "I've been jealous a few times myself because of your relationship with Jonathan. It comes with the territory of being a single parent I guess." Angela shrugged and walked into the house. Tony closed the door thankful that Angela was in Samantha's life. He didn't know of anybody better to be mother to his little girl.


End file.
